Ian Gynther, Natalie Waller and Luke Leung called human-induced climate change “the root cause of the loss of the Bramble Cay melomys” in their 2016 report.

“For low-lying islands like Bramble Cay, the destructive effects of extreme water levels resulting from severe meteorological events are compounded by the impacts from anthropogenic climate change-driven sea-level rise,” they said.

The last known sighting of the Bramble Cay is believed to have been in late 2009. “Exhaustive efforts” made in 2014 to locate the animal failed.